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Bentley in, James out

Tim James loses primary election by an even wider margin after recount; Bentley to face Byrne in GOP runoff

Gubernatorial candidate Robert Bentley speaks to members of the media during a press conference inside Bentley's campaign headquarters on McFarland Boulevard on Friday.

(Michelle Lepianka Carter/ Tuscaloosa News)

By Tommy StevensonAssociate Editor

Published: Saturday, June 19, 2010 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, June 18, 2010 at 11:18 p.m.

TUSCALOOSA

For the third time in 18 days, Tuscaloosa state Rep. Robert Bentley met reporters at his campaign headquarters on McFarland Boulevard and claimed victory in his battle to make the runoff in the Republican gubernatorial primary.

This time it should stick.

In a recount completed Friday, Bentley actually increased his lead over Tim James, according to figures released by the Alabama Republican Party.

“This should be the end of it,” Bentley said. “The state (Republican) Party says with all the votes recounted, I will be in the runoff.”

Bentley first claimed his spot in the runoff on election night June 1, when unofficial returns showed him leading James by 205 votes. That figure shrank to 167 votes the next week as provisional ballots were counted in 67 Alabama counties. On June 11, Bentley again claimed victory based on the full returns.

But James contested the results of the primary and demanded a recount. GOP officials said that recount showed James trailed by 270 votes, not counting a precinct in Mobile County where the ballots couldn't be located. Even counting the original tally from that precinct, however, James still trailed by 226 votes.

That puts Bentley in the July 13 runoff against primary frontrunner Bradley Byrne.

At a combination news conference and victory party in his hot and crowded campaign headquarters, Bentley repeated what he said on election night and then again a week ago as the recount process was about to begin.

“I am here to declare victory, once again,” a beaming Bentley said before a bank of seven television cameras. “We are ready for this runoff and as I have already said, we're going to run a clean campaign, we're going to talk about the issues that face us everyday, we're going to talk about what really affects the people of Alabama.

“I promised the people of Alabama from the beginning that I would run a clean campaign, and I am going to continue to do that,” Bentley said to more than 100 supporters. “Now if the other side wants to talk about me, my votes and do all these things, that's fine.

“I am going to stay on message and on the things that brought me to this point. This is the reason that the people of Alabama like me and voted for me, because they believe I care about them.”

When the outcome became apparent Friday morning, James thanked his campaign staff in Montgomery and left to spend the Father's Day weekend with his family at the beach. The Greenville developer plans a formal statement Monday afternoon.

Bentley and James finished with about 25 percent of the June 1 GOP turnout that saw more than 423,000 Alabama voters choose to vote Republican. Byrne led with a bit less than 28 percent of the vote and by fewer than 14,000 votes over Bentley and James.

Bentley said he talked to James two days ago and said he told him he would appreciate James' help, as it appeared likely Bentley would emerge with the most votes. Bentley also said he talked Thursday with fourth-place finisher Roy Moore, who got 95,000 votes and more than 19 percent of the turnout on June 1.

“I don't expect formal endorsements from any of the other candidates in the primary, but they can still exert influence, and it is their supporters that I really need,” he said. “I am definitely not the establishment Republican candidate and neither were James and Moore. So I think their voters will find a lot to like about our campaign.”

Bentley said Byrne “is most definitely” the choice of that establishment and pointed to his appointment to head the two year college by out-going Republican Gov. Bob Riley as proof.

But he also said he has gotten an e-mail from Byrne, who has been mostly silent as the runoff contest played out, congratulating him for making the runoff.

Byrne's campaign on Friday issued a statement by spokeswoman Marty Sullivan after the recount results were released.

“We look forward to making sure that Alabamians know that Bradley is the only proven leader who will stop status quo politics in Montgomery,” she said. “The election is about one thing, moving Alabama forward with conservative reform or holding on to the politics of the past.”

She said Byrne's priority is jobs. “Bradley's passion for education and work force development achievements make him the clear choice to be Alabama's next ‘jobs governor,' ” she said.

David Lanoue, chairman of the political science department at the University of Alabama, said Bentley is likely to benefit from James' voters if he can motivate them to turn out for a runoff at the height of vacation season.

“There was such bad blood between Tim James and Bradley Byrne in the primary, it's hard to imagine Tim James' voters turning out for Bradley Byrne,” he said.

In the primary, Byrne and James attacked each other repeatedly because they expected to be in the runoff.

Bentley ran a positive campaign, promising not to accept a salary as governor until the state's 10.8 percent unemployment returns to normal levels. He surprised many on election night when he edged James for a runoff spot.

Bentley has been doing low-key campaigning during the recount, but now that the result is official, he plans a statewide tour Monday.

Larry Powell, a professor of political communication at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said it doesn't matter that the recount ate up three of the six weeks in the runoff.

“Voters wouldn't have been paying attention anyway,” he said.

In the three weeks remaining, Powell said Byrne must try to get rid of negative impressions created by the bitter primary, and Bentley must let voters know more about him.

Lanoue said Byrne based his primary campaign on curbing the influential Alabama Education Association, so he may try to portray Bentley as being too cozy with the teachers' organization and being too quick to compromise with Democratic legislators.

Lanoue and Powell said

Byrne will have to be careful how he goes after Bentley.

“Bentley has run a very successful non-negative campaign. It is going to be hard to attack him without appearing mean,” Powell said.

James, the son of two-term Gov. Fob James, poured $2 million of his own fortune into his primary campaign and then put up $200,000 to pay for the first-ever statewide recount in a GOP primary for governor of Alabama.

The winner of the July 13 runoff will face the Democratic nominee, Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks, in the Nov. 2 general election.

Montgomery Bureau Chief Dana Beyerle and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

<p>TUSCALOOSA </p><p>For the third time in 18 days, Tuscaloosa state Rep. Robert Bentley met reporters at his campaign headquarters on McFarland Boulevard and claimed victory in his battle to make the runoff in the Republican gubernatorial primary.</p><p>This time it should stick.</p><p>In a recount completed Friday, Bentley actually increased his lead over Tim James, according to figures released by the Alabama Republican Party. </p><p>“This should be the end of it,” Bentley said. “The state (Republican) Party says with all the votes recounted, I will be in the runoff.”</p><p>Bentley first claimed his spot in the runoff on election night June 1, when unofficial returns showed him leading James by 205 votes. That figure shrank to 167 votes the next week as provisional ballots were counted in 67 Alabama counties. On June 11, Bentley again claimed victory based on the full returns.</p><p>But James contested the results of the primary and demanded a recount. GOP officials said that recount showed James trailed by 270 votes, not counting a precinct in Mobile County where the ballots couldn't be located. Even counting the original tally from that precinct, however, James still trailed by 226 votes.</p><p>That puts Bentley in the July 13 runoff against primary frontrunner Bradley Byrne.</p><p>At a combination news conference and victory party in his hot and crowded campaign headquarters, Bentley repeated what he said on election night and then again a week ago as the recount process was about to begin.</p><p>“I am here to declare victory, once again,” a beaming Bentley said before a bank of seven television cameras. “We are ready for this runoff and as I have already said, we're going to run a clean campaign, we're going to talk about the issues that face us everyday, we're going to talk about what really affects the people of Alabama.</p><p>“I promised the people of Alabama from the beginning that I would run a clean campaign, and I am going to continue to do that,” Bentley said to more than 100 supporters. “Now if the other side wants to talk about me, my votes and do all these things, that's fine.</p><p>“I am going to stay on message and on the things that brought me to this point. This is the reason that the people of Alabama like me and voted for me, because they believe I care about them.”</p><p>When the outcome became apparent Friday morning, James thanked his campaign staff in Montgomery and left to spend the Father's Day weekend with his family at the beach. The Greenville developer plans a formal statement Monday afternoon.</p><p>Bentley and James finished with about 25 percent of the June 1 GOP turnout that saw more than 423,000 Alabama voters choose to vote Republican. Byrne led with a bit less than 28 percent of the vote and by fewer than 14,000 votes over Bentley and James.</p><p>Bentley said he talked to James two days ago and said he told him he would appreciate James' help, as it appeared likely Bentley would emerge with the most votes. Bentley also said he talked Thursday with fourth-place finisher Roy Moore, who got 95,000 votes and more than 19 percent of the turnout on June 1.</p><p>“I don't expect formal endorsements from any of the other candidates in the primary, but they can still exert influence, and it is their supporters that I really need,” he said. “I am definitely not the establishment Republican candidate and neither were James and Moore. So I think their voters will find a lot to like about our campaign.”</p><p>Bentley said Byrne “is most definitely” the choice of that establishment and pointed to his appointment to head the two year college by out-going Republican Gov. Bob Riley as proof.</p><p>But he also said he has gotten an e-mail from Byrne, who has been mostly silent as the runoff contest played out, congratulating him for making the runoff.</p><p>Byrne's campaign on Friday issued a statement by spokeswoman Marty Sullivan after the recount results were released.</p><p>“We look forward to making sure that Alabamians know that Bradley is the only proven leader who will stop status quo politics in Montgomery,” she said. “The election is about one thing, moving Alabama forward with conservative reform or holding on to the politics of the past.”</p><p>She said Byrne's priority is jobs. “Bradley's passion for education and work force development achievements make him the clear choice to be Alabama's next 'jobs governor,' ” she said.</p><p>David Lanoue, chairman of the political science department at the University of Alabama, said Bentley is likely to benefit from James' voters if he can motivate them to turn out for a runoff at the height of vacation season.</p><p>“There was such bad blood between Tim James and Bradley Byrne in the primary, it's hard to imagine Tim James' voters turning out for Bradley Byrne,” he said.</p><p>In the primary, Byrne and James attacked each other repeatedly because they expected to be in the runoff.</p><p>Bentley ran a positive campaign, promising not to accept a salary as governor until the state's 10.8 percent unemployment returns to normal levels. He surprised many on election night when he edged James for a runoff spot.</p><p>Bentley has been doing low-key campaigning during the recount, but now that the result is official, he plans a statewide tour Monday.</p><p>Larry Powell, a professor of political communication at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said it doesn't matter that the recount ate up three of the six weeks in the runoff.</p><p>“Voters wouldn't have been paying attention anyway,” he said.</p><p>In the three weeks remaining, Powell said Byrne must try to get rid of negative impressions created by the bitter primary, and Bentley must let voters know more about him.</p><p>Lanoue said Byrne based his primary campaign on curbing the influential Alabama Education Association, so he may try to portray Bentley as being too cozy with the teachers' organization and being too quick to compromise with Democratic legislators.</p><p>Lanoue and Powell said </p><p>Byrne will have to be careful how he goes after Bentley.</p><p>“Bentley has run a very successful non-negative campaign. It is going to be hard to attack him without appearing mean,” Powell said.</p><p>James, the son of two-term Gov. Fob James, poured $2 million of his own fortune into his primary campaign and then put up $200,000 to pay for the first-ever statewide recount in a GOP primary for governor of Alabama.</p><p>The winner of the July 13 runoff will face the Democratic nominee, Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks, in the Nov. 2 general election.</p><p>Montgomery Bureau Chief Dana Beyerle and the Associated Press contributed to this report.</p><p>Reach Tommy Stevenson at </p><p>tommy.stevenson@tuscaloosa</p><p>news.com or 205-722-0194.</p>